Want to skip the transportation security and administration security lines at Indianapolis International Airport? A new service will be available soon, but it will cost you money.
The Indianapolis Airport Authority is partnering with Clear to offer a paid facial security service that allows passengers to skip normal security lines before entering the terminal and boarding a flight.
The security company is a leader in biometric security and uses data such as fingerprints or eye scans to confirm passengers’ identities. There are clear plans to launch the service on July 1 this year, following a unanimous approval on March 20 by the IAA board.
Similar to TSA Precheck, Clear travelers pay an annual fee to wait in shorter lines, but still undergo physical screening like other passengers. Many Clear checkpoints offer travelers free trials before committing to a $209 annual membership. Members can add up to three adults to a family membership for an additional $125 per person. Meanwhile, TSA Precheck starts around $78.
Several airlines, such as Delta and Alaska Airlines, as well as some credit cards, such as American Express, offer free or discounted access to a Clear+ membership for frequent flyers or certain credit card holders.
January 9, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Clear scanners at John Glenn International Airport in Columbus. Clear Secure, Inc. is a technology company that operates biometric travel document verification systems at some major airports and stadiums. Construction could begin as soon as next year on a proposed new $2 billion terminal at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, designed to provide travelers with a more efficient, modern and comfortable experience.
The deal will generate revenue for the Indianapolis airport, with Clear expected to pay the airport $700,000 in the first year. Clear’s Indianapolis operations will add 33 jobs.
At Clear checkpoints, membership travelers forego the standard security line, instead visiting an automated Clear kiosk that takes a digital scan of the passenger’s face and uses TSA software to confirm their identity, Clear executive vice president Kyle McLaughlin told IAA board members earlier this month. Once the software confirms their identity, a gate opens that takes passengers directly to the physical screening process. Facial recognition takes about five seconds, McLaughlin said.
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Clear operates at 64 airports nationwide and works closely with TSA officers on security and efficiency at checkpoints. Clear employees are privately contracted, and they continued to be paid and work during the recent government shutdowns, which saw TSA employees work without pay and long lines at security checkpoints.
On one day in mid-March, during the partial government shutdown, Clear signed up 20,000 people for memberships, McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin says clear service at airports helps all passengers, not just paying members, because more screening options mean shorter lines for the general public. He added that 42,000 people in Indiana already have active Clear memberships. At Indianapolis International, Clear will be active at both A and B security checkpoints.
“It allows TSA to help leverage their resources to focus on the rest of the passenger population,” McLaughlin said.
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Alysa Guffey writes business and development stories for IndyStar. Contact her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Clear+ screening at Indianapolis International Airport
